OCD Treatment
Are You Looking For Support In Managing OCD?
Do you struggle with obsessive, intrusive thoughts?
Have you developed compulsive behaviors as a means of managing these thoughts?
Have you ever been diagnosed with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder or wondered if you meet the criteria for OCD?
Obsessions and compulsions can be debilitating, causing those who struggle to feel as though they lack control over their thoughts and behaviors. While certain rituals or compulsions were created to suppress fears and anxieties, those behaviors may have taken on a life of their own, becoming just as stressful and disruptive as the obsessions themselves.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Vs. Generalized Anxiety
OCD and anxiety are closely linked, but there are specific symptoms unique to OCD. Obsessions are defined as recurrent thoughts, urges, or images that are unwanted and create significant distress. Oftentimes, attempting to minimize these thoughts results in developing new thoughts or actions that are equally distressing.
Compulsions are the repetitive behaviors or mental acts that are created with the intention of preventing distress or a dreaded situation.
However, in feeling compelled to perform such acts, compulsions are likely to become as disruptive and time-consuming as the original obsessive thought, thus further perpetuating a cycle of distress.
If you’re preoccupied with constantly having to complete certain rituals and behaviors, you probably feel the impact of OCD in every area of your life. Perhaps you easily lose focus at work, struggle to complete tasks, and feel distracted in your relationships. As a result, you might avoid the people, places, and objects that trigger the obsessive-compulsive cycle.
Fortunately, OCD is treatable. Working with the therapists or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNPs) at our practice, you can receive therapeutic support and/or medication management services and resources that will help reduce the negative impact OCD has on your life.
What Causes OCD?
It’s estimated that 1.2 percent of American adults live with OCD. Symptoms can develop as early as childhood, with OCD affecting individuals across age, gender, and socioeconomic lines.
Certain evidence suggests that OCD stems from genetic factors and trauma. However, some cultural norms may also be responsible for triggering OCD. In particular, cultures that emphasize order, cleanliness, and structure are more likely to produce individuals who struggle with rigid, inflexible thinking.
No matter where it originates or how it manifests, OCD can create a great deal of shame. Many people with OCD feel the need to downplay or hide their behaviors, which only emphasizes the cycle of distress. Clinging to rituals as a means for relief, it can be hard to admit there is a problem or identify where the cycle of distress begins. However, if proper treatment is avoided, symptoms of OCD are likely to worsen.
A mental health professional can offer tremendous insight into obsessive-compulsive thinking and behaviors. By identifying and exploring symptoms in treatment, you can learn to manage the impact that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder has on your life
OCD Treatment At Mindful Mental And Behavioral Health PLLC
Whether or not a diagnosis of OCD is present, our providers can help. We will work with you to determine your goals for treatment, provide psychoeducation about OCD and its effects on your life, and offer therapy and psychiatric medication management services if needed. You can conveniently self-schedule a free consult or an intake session with one of our therapists or PMHNPs.
Early treatment sessions are likely to revolve around your unique obsessions and compulsions, helping us to determine how effective your coping strategies are. When helpful, we may suggest alternative coping skills or other therapeutic counseling measures that can help reduce OCD symptoms.
Medication May Be A Good Option For You
In addition to working with a therapist for supportive therapy and cognitive and behavioral tools that will assist you in managing OCD, you may choose to work with one of our PMHNPs to explore medications for OCD. Antidepressants, in particular, are considered highly effective when treating obsessions and compulsions. Research indicates that because selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) balance the brain’s serotonin levels, they can be useful in targeting obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors.
Our approach to OCD treatment aims to enhance self-esteem and autonomy so that you can gain a stronger sense of control over your life. With a combination of effective counseling techniques and medication management, you can experience more freedom from symptoms of OCD.
Still Unsure If Treatment Is Right For You?
If I tell someone about my obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors, they will think I am disconnected from reality.
Many people who struggle with OCD have good insight into recognizing that their ritual-related beliefs are probably or definitely not true. The problem is not that they absolutely know something bad will happen if they don’t follow through on their ritual—it’s that they cannot control the thoughts and compulsions associated with that ritual.
Identifying symptoms and the overall cycle of distress is paramount to managing symptoms of OCD. Treatment gives you an opportunity to explore the impact that OCD has had on your life and receive meaningful support on the path toward finding solutions.
Is there a universal treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder?
OCD can be effectively treated with therapy and/or psychiatric medications. While there is no one universal treatment for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, individualized assessments can help determine the counseling modalities and/or medications best suited to your unique symptoms. Studies have demonstrated that a combination of therapy and medication is more effective for treating OCD than either treatment by itself.
What if I have already tried medications for managing OCD but still struggle with symptoms?
If you are currently going to therapy or taking medications for OCD yet still experiencing distress, it’s possible that certain symptoms have become resistant to treatment. Our comprehensive psychiatric services provide ongoing support, allowing your provider to assess your progress along the way. We may need to adjust therapy sessions or your medication regimen. Or we may need to explore other options if your OCD symptoms seem treatment resistant.
It's also important to consider that neurological and behavioral modifications take time—be patient with yourself and remember that facilitating deep, lasting change is a big task for anyone, no matter their struggle. Our therapists and PMHNPs are fully invested in your healing and will work with you every step of the way to achieve your treatment goals.
Escape The Cycle
OCD treatment at Mindful Mental and Behavioral Health PLLC combines therapy and behavioral techniques with medication management services to help you find relief. To get started with one of our therapy or PMHNP specialists, schedule a free consult now. You may also call us at (207) 316–2609 for specific questions involving our approach to OCD treatment.
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